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Fleischmanns museum to hold two anniversary open houses

The Greater Fleischmanns Museum of Memories will hold an open house on Tuesday, July 1 from 3 to 6 p.m. to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Light refreshments will be served. A second open house will be held on Saturday, July 5 during the museum’s regular hours, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The museum opened on July 1, 1978, led by Dorothy Squires, a lifelong area resident who feared that much local history was being lost or forgotten. She worked diligently for several years, with help from a number of other concerned citizens, to put the beginnings of the museum together. Her daughter, Georgiana Fairlie, ran the museum after her for several years.
A number of other individuals kept it going over the years, and in 2001 the current museum board was organized. The museum received its charter from the State of New York in 2004, coinciding with some major structural work on the building.
It houses an extensive collection of artifacts from area hotels, displays relating to agriculture in the region, a school-themed area with a collection of Fleischmanns High School yearbooks, and a still-growing telephone display. Notables from the past such as opera singer Amelita Galli-Curci and comedienne Molly Goldberg are highlighted.
Each year there is a new display, featuring items recently donated to the museum. This year’s exhibit has a number of great old postcards, a huge photo of the Grand Hotel, and some interesting hotel memorabilia.
The museum is open on Saturdays from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. During July and August it is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday.